Greive May Not Provide Meaning of Life, But He Will Get You Thinking

I recently graduated from college and found myself teetering on the precipice of what is known as The Rest of My Life. In fact, I am still teetering, trying to figure out what comes next, none too eager to embrace any big changes. This book didn’t prompt me to make any life-altering decisions, but it did put a smile on my face and provide a few words of wisdom to guide me in my strange new role as college graduate. The Meaning of Life is not specifically intended for graduates; it can apply to anyone about to enter a new phase of life. Actually, it can apply to anyone at all, since finding meaning in life on some level is a continuing quest for pretty much everyone.

This is my third Bradley Trevor Greive book. I own The Blue Book and Dear Mom. My grandma owns The Incredible Truth About Motherhood, I have seen Looking for Mr. Right in stores, and I just today saw another volume, Tomorrow: Adventures in an Uncertain World, advertised. All of his books follow a similar formula. He collects an array of expressive animal photos (usually – there are a few inanimate objects and humans thrown in here and there) and fills each book with them, one to a page, black and white (except for the covers - Blue Day is blue, Dear Mom pink, and this, which features a frog on the cover, is green), with just enough white space at the bottom for some written wit. The volumes are inspirational in nature, either offering thanks or encouragement, and they provide a perfect balance of sagacity and hilarity.

The book comes with a warning in the form of a 7-page Prologue, which reads, in part, “You may have opened this little book expecting it to be filled with answers, but (surprise, surprise!) it’s actually a book about questions.” No, you won’t get the meaning of life from this book. But you may be just a bit more inspired to search for it. Through a series of witty observations and queries, this tome encourages readers to get out there and do something exciting with their lives. Essentially the same sentiments as that graduation classic Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, without the rhyme. This small square (shape, that is, not level of hipness) book packs an awful lot into its 120 pages. It is probably the wordiest of his books which I have perused, but it’s still a pretty quick read. You can take as little or as much time with it as you want.

As in my previous Greive reviews, I’ll provide a little guide to my personal favorite pages as a teaser…

Why do children believe in fairies, but “grown-ups” don’t? (14) – A cheetah cub gazes into the sky at some small flying insects as its mother lies alongside, looking bored.

Perhaps the confusion arises because life is not always what it seems. (22) – Two donkeys face each other; the head of the first is in front of the head of the other so that it appears to be a donkey with two bodies and one head.

This love of life leads us to help others simply because it feels great to contribute to those around us. (39) – Probably my favorite picture in the book, it features a primate – a baboon, I think – sitting with a puppy in its lap and grooming it.

We all know how wonderful it feels to be a rock for our family and friends (of course, there is a limit) (40) – I hope there were no animals harmed in the taking of this picture, because this looks pretty dangerous. An elephant’s foot touches the top of a chick’s head, looking like it is about to come down.

People who don’t ask themselves these questions invariably go through life wondering why it isn’t a lot more fun. (43) – A very disgruntled-looking German shepherd sits decorated with garland and wearing a hat with a star on the top.

We get caught up in an avalanche of fears and desires that propel us into a race we can’t possibly win. (49) – A blur of mice races past, while one in the front of the picture in sharp focus gazes out.

A little voice – call it your conscience, your inner self, or your internal mother-in-law – will always tell you the truth if you are prepared to hear it. (72) – A huge tortoise sits with a small tortoise on top of its head.

(Of course, one needs to remember where courage ends and stupidity begins.) (84) – A mouse scampers down the backside of an elephant.

You may well be surrounded by people who secretly want you to achieve less or even fail completely just so they don’t look bad… (96) – A cat stands in the center of a circle of piglets, which bury their noses in the cat’s fur.

This is just a sampling of the treasure trove of wit, wisdom, and photographic brilliance contained in The Meaning of Life. An especially appropriate gift for a graduate, this book is well worth its $10 price tag. Pick up a copy and leave it out where people can leaf through it. Those irresistible animals will lure them in every time, and they may well emerge better for having read it.